Radioactive levels "significantly" higher after plant blasts

FUKUSHIMA, Japan | Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:45pm EDT

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Japan's prime minister warned that radioactive levels had become "significantly" higher around an earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant on Tuesday after explosions at two reactors, and the French embassy said a low level radioactive wind could reach Tokyo in 10 hours.

Naoto Kan urged people within 30 km (18 miles) of the facility north of Tokyo to remain indoors, underscoring the dramatic worsening of Japan's nuclear crisis, the world's most serious since the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986.

"There has been a fire at the No. 4 reactor and radiation levels in the surrounding area have heightened significantly. The possibility of further radioactive leakage is heightening," a grim-faced Kan said in an address to the nation.
"We are making every effort to prevent the leak from spreading. I know that people are very worried but I would like to ask you to act calmly."

The French embassy in the capital warned in an advisory that a low level of radioactive wind could reach Tokyo -- 240 km (150 miles) south of the plant -- in about 10 hours.
Winds over the facility are blowing slowly in a southwesterly direction that includes Tokyo but will shift westerly later on Tuesday, a weather official said.

The reactor operator asked the U.S. military for help, while Kyodo news agency said radiation levels nine times normal levels had been briefly detected in Kanagawa near Tokyo.
As concern about the crippling economic impact of the double disaster mounted, Japanese stocks plunged nearly 9.0 percent to their lowest level in nearly two years, compounding a drop of 7.6 percent the day before. The two-day fall has wiped more than $500 billion off the market.

There have been a total of four explosions at the plant since it was damaged in last Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami. The most recent were blasts at reactors No. 2 and No. 4 earlier on Tuesday.
Authorities had previously been trying to prevent meltdowns in the Fukishima Daiichi complex's nuclear reactors by flooding the chambers with sea water to cool the reactors down down.
Air China said it had canceled flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Tokyo.

In Tokyo, travel agents said there had been a rise in inquiries from foreigners seeking to leave the country, but local residents were cancelling vacations abroad saying now was not the time to travel. The capital's Narita airport said there had been no surge in passenger traffic.
There has been panic buying in Tokyo.

Don Quixote, a multi-storey, 24-hour general store in Tokyo's Roppongi district, sold out of radios immediately after the quake. It also sold out of flashlights, candles, gasoline containers and sleeping bags.
The full extent of the destruction wreaked by last Friday's massive quake and tsunami that followed it was still becoming clear, as rescuers combed through the region north of Tokyo where officials say at least 10,000 people were killed.
 Kan has said Japan is facing its worst crisis since World War Two and, with the financial costs estimated at up to $180 billion, analysts said it could tip the world's third-biggest economy back into recession.
The U.S. Geological Survey upgraded the quake to magnitude 9.0, from 8.9, making it the world's fourth most powerful since 1900.
Car makers, shipbuilders and technology companies worldwide scrambled for supplies after the disaster shut factories in Japan and disrupted the global manufacturing chain.

BLAST DAMAGES ROOF, WORKERS TOLD TO LEAVE

The fear at the Fukushima plant is of a major radiation leak after the quake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems.
Jiji news agency said the first explosion on Tuesday damaged the roof and steam was rising from the complex. Some workers were also told to leave the plant, a development one expert had warned beforehand could signal a worsening of the crisis.

The worst nuclear accident since the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986 has drawn criticism that authorities were ill-prepared and revived debate in many countries about the safety of atomic power.
"You're above Three Mile Island but you're nowhere near a Chernobyl ... Chernobyl there was no impediment to release, it just blew everything out into the atmosphere," said Murray Jennex, professor at San Diego State University in California.

"You've still got a big chunk of the containment there holding most of it in."
Switzerland put on hold some approvals for nuclear power plants and Germany said it was scrapping a plan to extend the life of its nuclear power stations. The White House said U.S. President Barack Obama remained committed to nuclear energy.

Whilst the Fukuskima plant's No.1 and No.3 reactors both suffered partial fuel rod meltdowns, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) had earlier said the No.2 reactor was now the biggest concern.
A sudden drop in cooling water levels when a pump ran out of fuel had fully exposed the fuel rods for a time, an official said. This could lead to the rods melting down and a possible radioactive leak.

TEPCO had resumed pumping sea water into the reactor early on Tuesday.
U.S. warships and planes helping with relief efforts moved away from the coast temporarily because of low-level radiation. The U.S. Seventh Fleet described the move as precautionary.
South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines said they would test Japanese food imports for radiation.

TOWNS FLATTENED

About 850,000 households in the north were still without electricity in near-freezing weather, Tohuku Electric Power Co. said, and the government said at least 1.5 million households lack running water. Tens of thousands of people were missing.

"The situation here is just beyond belief, almost everything has been flattened," said the Red Cross's Fuller in Otsuchi, a town all-but obliterated. "The government is saying that 9,500 people, more than half of the population, could have died and I do fear the worst."
Whole villages and towns have been wiped off the map by Friday's wall of water, triggering an international humanitarian effort of epic proportions.

"When the tsunami struck, I was trying to evacuate people. I looked back, and then it was like the computer graphics scene I've seen from the movie Armageddon. I thought it was a dream . it was really like the end of the world," said Tsutomu Sato, 46, in Rikuzantakata, a town on the northeast coast.
Estimates of the economic impact now starting to emerge.

Hiromichi Shirakawa, chief economist for Japan at Credit Suisse, said in a note to clients that the economic loss will likely be around 14-15 trillion yen ($171-183 billion) just to the region hit by the quake and tsunami.
Even that would put it above the commonly accepted cost of the 1995 Kobe quake which killed 6,000 people.

The earthquake has forced many firms to suspend production and global companies -- from semiconductor makers to shipbuilders -- face disruptions to operations after the quake and tsunami destroyed vital infrastructure, damaged ports and knocked out factories.
"The earthquake could have great implications on the global economic front," said Andre Bakhos, director of market analytics at Lec Securities in New York. "If you shut down Japan, there could be a global recession."

Headline News 14.03.11

U.S. & GLOBAL 
• Gempa besar Jepang dan tsunami menghancurkan harga komoditas pada hari Jumat, namun kekhawatiran investor kemudian mereda
setelah mereka kembali menaksir dampak dari bencana tersebut terhadap kondisi ekonomi negara terbesar ketiga dunia tersebut.
 
• Di awal sesi, pasar sempat terpukul setelah siaran televisi menunjukkan kerusakan di bagian timur laut Jepang setelah gempa terbesar
melanda negara itu yang menyebabkan sedikitnya 1.000 orang meninggal dunia. Namun optimisme pasar kembali bangkit seiring
pembangunan kembali Jepang bisa berpengaruh baik untuk kondisi pasar secara umum.
 
• Caterpillar Inc dan produsen alat berat lainnya melihat kenaikan pada saham mereka, dan emas berbalik menguat setelah dolar AS
melemah terhadap euro.
 
• Yen melambung setelah gempa berkekuatan 8,9 memicu minat terhadap mata uang berimbal hasil lebih rendah. Mata uang Jepang bisa
naik lagi minggu depan (minggu ini) jika perusahaan asuransi berebut untuk mendapatkan uang tunai dengan menjual aset asing, seperti
obligasi pemerintah AS.
 
• Gempa terdahsyat dalam kurun waktu 140 tahun lalu, memicu sedikitnya 80 kebakaran di kota‐kota pesisir dan sejumlah kota besar
lainnya. Pembangkit listrik tenaga nuklir Jepang dan kilang minyak ditutup menyusul satu kilang terbakar.
 
• Harga minyak mentah AS turun di bawah $100 sebelum akhirnya rebound tipis dan memangkas kerugiannya. Jepang merupakan negara
konsumen minyak terbesar ketiga dunia dan mengimpor hampir semua kebutuhan energinya.
 
• Indeks saham global MSCI jatuh ke level terendah 5 pekan namun kemudian berhasil naik 0,2% di akhir sesi.
 
• Gempa telah menutup sejumlah kilang minyak dan fasilitas industri lainnya di Jepang, sehingga menyebabkan turunnya harga minyak.
North Sea Brent mencatat penurunan mingguan pertamanya dalam 7 pekan terakhir, dengan minyak mentah AS berakhir melemah untuk
minggu pertama dalam 4 minggu terakhir. Pasar minyak juga memonitor rencana aksi protes di negara eksportir minyak Arab Saudi dan
kekerasan di Libya, di mana ekspor minyak telah terganggu.
 
• Sementara itu bursa saham Eropa jatuh ke level penutupan terendah 2011, dengan saham asuransi yang paling terpukul, tetapi saham AS
naik, dipimpin oleh kenaikan 1,6% pada indeks energi S & P dan indeks saham penyulingan minyak.
 
• Wall Street juga terangkat oleh kenaikan 1,0% penjualan ritel AS pada bulan Februari, keuntungan terbesar dalam empat bulan, setelah
konsumen meningkatkan pembelian mobil, pakaian dan barang lainnya, dan bahkan karena mereka menghabiskan lebih banyak uang
untuk mengkonsumsi bensin.
 
• Indeks Dow Jones <. DJI> ditutup naik 59,79 poin atau 0,50%, di 12.044,40. Index Standard & Poor's 500 naik <SPX.> 9,17 poin atau 0,71%
pada 1.304,28. Nasdaq Composite Index <. IXIC> bertambah 14,59 poin atau 0,54%, pada 2.715,61.
 
• Dolar turun 1,2% menjadi 81,87 yen, penurunan terbesar satu hari sejak 3 Desember, sementara yen juga rally terhadap pound, euro dan
franc Swiss.
 
• Emas juga terangkat oleh berita gempa Jepang dan gejolak Timur Tengah. Sedangkan harga obligasi AS jatuh di tengah kekhawatiran
bahwa perusahaan asuransi Jepang mungkin perlu untuk menjual obligasi untuk membayar ganti rugi.

Blast at stricken Japan plant, new tsunami heads for

FUKUSHIMA, Japan | Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:54pm EDT

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - A hydrogen explosion rocked the earthquake-stricken nuclear plant in Japan where authorities have been working desperately to avert a meltdown, while media said a fresh tsunami was heading for the same coastline that was hit last week.

Japan's nuclear agency confirmed there was an explosion at the No. 3 reactor of the Daiichi plant in Fukushima, and TV images showed smoke rising from the facility, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo.
Officials said they could not immediately confirm whether the blast had caused a radioactive leak.

Operators had earlier halted injection of sea water into the reactor, resulting in a rise in radiation levels and pressure. The government had warned that an explosion was possible because of the buildup of hydrogen in the building housing the reactor.

Japan battled through the weekend to prevent a nuclear catastrophe and to care for the millions without power or water in its worst crisis since World War Two, after a huge earthquake and tsunami that likely killed more than 10,000 people.

A badly wounded nation has seen whole villages and towns wiped off the map by a wall of water, leaving in its wake an international humanitarian effort of epic proportions.

Kyodo quoted authorities as saying the new tsunami could be up to a height of three meters and issued an alert for the country's Pacific coast, including Fukushima prefecture.
As the country returned to work on Monday, markets began estimating the huge economic cost, with Japanese stocks plunging around 5 percent and the yen falling against the dollar.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the situation at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant remained worrisome and that the authorities were doing their utmost to stop damage from spreading.

"The earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear incident have been the biggest crisis Japan has encountered in the 65 years since the end of World War Two," a grim-faced Kan had told a news conference on Sunday.
"We're under scrutiny on whether we, the Japanese people, can overcome this crisis."
Officials confirmed on Sunday that three nuclear reactors north of Tokyo were at risk of overheating, raising fears of an uncontrolled radiation leak.

Engineers worked desperately to cool the fuel rods in the damaged reactors. If they fail, the containers that house the core could melt, or even explode, releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere.
The world's third-biggest economy also faced rolling power blackouts to conserve energy, and Tokyo commuters reported long delays as train companies cut back services.

DEATH TOLL "ABOVE 10,000"

Broadcaster NHK, quoting a police official, said more than 10,000 people may have been killed as the wall of water triggered by Friday's 8.9-magnitude quake surged across the coastline, reducing whole towns to rubble. It was the biggest to have hit the quake-prone country since it started keeping records 140 years ago.
"I would like to believe that there still are survivors," said Masaru Kudo, a soldier dispatched to Rikuzentakata, a nearly flattened town of 24,500 people in far-northern Iwate prefecture.

Kyodo said 80,000 people had been evacuated from a 20-km (12-mile) radius around the stricken nuclear plant, joining more than 450,000 other evacuees from quake and tsunami-hit areas in the northeast of the main island Honshu.

Almost 2 million households were without power in the freezing north, the government said. There were about 1.4 million without running water.
 "I am looking for my parents and my older brother," Yuko Abe, 54, said in tears at an emergency center in Rikuzentakata.
"Seeing the way the area is, I thought that perhaps they did not make it. I also cannot tell my siblings that live away that I am safe, as mobile phones and telephones are not working."

NUCLEAR CRISIS

The most urgent crisis centers on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, where authorities said they had been forced to vent radioactive steam into the air to relieve reactor pressure.
The complex was rocked by a first explosion on Saturday, which blew the roof off a reactor building. The government had said further blasts would not necessarily damage the reactor vessels.

Operator TEPCO said on Monday it had reported a rise in radiation levels at the complex to the government. On Sunday the level had risen slightly above what one is exposed to for a stomach X-ray, the company said.
Authorities had been pouring sea water in two of the reactors at the complex to cool them down.

Nuclear experts said it was probably the first time in the industry's 57-year history that sea water has been used in this way, a sign of how close Japan may be to a major accident.
"Injection of sea water into a core is an extreme measure," Mark Hibbs of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "this is not according to the book."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said there might have been a partial meltdown of the fuel rods at the No. 1 reactor, where Saturday's blast took place, and there was a risk of an explosion at the building housing the No. 3 reactor, but that it was unlikely to affect the reactor core container.

A Japanese official said 22 people have been confirmed to have suffered radiation contamination and up to 190 may have been exposed. Workers in protective clothing used handheld scanners to check people arriving at evacuation centers.

"NOT ANOTHER CHERNOBYL"

The nuclear accident, the worst since Chernobyl in Soviet Ukraine in 1986, sparked criticism that authorities were ill-prepared for such a massive quake and the threat that could pose to the country's nuclear power industry.

Prime Minister Kan on Sunday sought to allay radiation fears: "Radiation has been released in the air, but there are no reports that a large amount was released," Jiji news agency quoted him as saying. "This is fundamentally different from the Chernobyl accident."

Kan said food, water and other necessities such as blankets were being delivered by vehicles but because of damage to roads, authorities were considering air and sea transport.
Thousands spent another freezing night huddled in blankets over heaters in emergency shelters along the northeastern coast, a scene of devastation after the quake sent a 10-meter (33-foot) wave surging through towns and cities in the Miyagi region, including its main coastal city of Sendai.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The earthquake has forced many firms to suspend production and shares in some of Japan's biggest companies tumbled on Monday, with Toyota Corp dropping around 7 percent. Shares in Australian-listed uranium miners also dived.

Already saddled with debts twice the size of its $5 trillion economy and threatened with credit downgrades, the government is discussing a temporary tax rise to fund relief work.
Analysts expect the economy to suffer a hit in the short-term, then get a boost from reconstruction activity.

"When we talk about natural disasters, we tend to see an initial sharp drop in production ... then you tend to have a V-shaped rebound. But initially everyone underestimates the damage," said Michala Marcussen, head of global economics at Societe Generale.

Ratings agency Moody's said on Sunday the fiscal impact of the earthquake would be temporary and have a limited play on whether it would downgrade Japan's sovereign debt.
Risk modeling company AIR Worldwide said insured losses from the earthquake could reach nearly $35 billion.

The Bank of Japan has said it would pump cash into the banking system to prevent the disaster from destabilizing markets.
It is also expected to signal its readiness to ease monetary policy further if the damage threatens a fragile economic recovery.

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said authorities were closely watching the yen after the currency initially rallied on expectations of repatriations by insurers and others. The currency later reversed course in volatile trading.

The earthquake was the fifth most powerful to hit the world in the past century. It surpassed the Great Kanto quake of September 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area.

The 1995 Kobe quake killed 6,000 and caused $100 billion in damage, the most expensive natural disaster in history. Economic damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was estimated at about $10 billion.

BOJ offers record 7 trillion yen to soothe markets

TOKYO | Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:45pm EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan offered to pump a record $85 billion into the banking system on Monday, its first same-day market operation since the Greek debt crisis, to soothe market jitters after a massive earthquake hit northeastern Japan.

"The move is aimed at stabilizing financial markets and ensuring smooth fund settlement," a BOJ official told Reuters.
This was the central bank's first same-day operation, in which it injects funds to the market on the same day it offers them, since last May, when Greece's debt woes roiled global financial markets.
The amount, at 7 trillion yen ($85 billion), was much higher than the usual 1 trillion to 2 trillion yen injected in the wake of big market-moving events, indicating the central bank's determination to keep borrowing costs low and stable.

The auction drew fewer bids than the amount offered, resulting in the BOJ pumping 5.1 trillion yen into the market, in a sign the banking system remained awash with cash.

"The BOJ apparently is making utmost efforts to maintain order in markets with ample fund supply," said Hideo Kumano, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo.
"The BOJ may ease policy by expanding its asset-buying fund or some other measures in the near future. But it's hard to predict what it will do at today's policy meeting."

BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Sunday that the central bank would provide huge amounts of liquidity to the banking system on Monday, reinforcing the bank's resolve to keep markets stable in the wake of the disaster.

The central bank will meet later on Monday for a rate review, which was cut short from two days to one, and is seen keeping interest rates on hold at a range of zero to 0.1 percent.
At Monday's rate review, the BOJ is expected to pledge to supply as much money as needed to keep jitters over the quake from destabilizing markets. It may also signal its readiness to ease policy further if the damage from the quake threatens Japan's economy as it heads toward a moderate recovery.

Japan is battling to prevent a nuclear catastrophe and to care for millions of people without power or water in its worst crisis since World War Two, after a massive earthquake and tsunami that are feared to have killed more than 10,000 people.

The BOJ said in a statement that there were no reports so far of system glitches or funding problems at Japanese financial institutions, including those in the quake-struck region.

New explosion rocks stricken Japanese nuclear reactor

TOKYO | Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:37pm EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - A new explosion rocked Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex on Monday, sending a plume of smoke into the air.

Japan's nuclear safety agency said it could not confirm whether or not the hydrogen explosion at the plant's No.3 reactor had led to an uncontrolled leak of radioactivity.

Futures hit as Japan situation worsens

NEW YORK | Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:35pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks index futures fell on Sunday as investors reacted to the worsening situation in Japan.

S&P 500 futures were down 7 points to 1292.80. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 51 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 17 points.
Japan battled on Monday to prevent a nuclear catastrophe and to care for millions of people without power or water after a massive earthquake and tsunami was feared to have killed more than 10,000 people.The devastation in Japan could worsen the negative short-term sentiment gripping a vulnerable U.S. stock market. Likely to take the biggest hits are companies exposed to Japan and the nuclear energy sector.
The disaster brought on a flurry of short bets against Japanese stocks on Friday, and that trend could well accelerate on news of deteriorating conditions in Japan over the weekend.
 Officials in Japan confirmed three nuclear reactors were at risk of overheating, raising fears of an uncontrolled radiation leak.

Headline News 11.03.11

US & GLOBAL 
• Kekhawatiran tentang prospek pemulihan ekonomi global dan meningkatnya kerusuhan di Arab Saudi menekan kinerja bursa Wall Street, mendorong
penurunan indeks‐indeks utama di bawah level teknis penting. Indeks Dow Jones mencatat kinerja terburuk dalam 9‐bulan terakhir setlah adanya laporan
bahwa otoritas Arab Saudi melepaskan sejumlah tembakan ke arah demonstran, meningkatkan kecemasan akan instabilitas di negara‐negara penghasil
minyak terbesar dunia. Ketiga indeks utama AS jatuh di bawah level moving average 50‐hariannya. Aksi jual investor cukup marak, dengan volume
perdagangan yang mencapai 9.07 miliar lembar saham yang diperdagangkan, jauh melebihi rata‐rata perdagangan harian tahun 2010 silam yang hanya 8,47
miliar saham perhari. Indeks Dow Jones <. DJI> turun 228,48 poin atau 1,87% ke 11,984.61, S&p500 <. SPX> turun 24,91 poin atau 1,89% ke 1,295.11 dan
Nasdaq <. IXIC> turun 50,70 poin atau 1,84% ke 2,701.02.
 
• Harga emas bangkit dari pelemahan tajamnya setelah meningkatnya aktiftas demonstran di Arab Saudi yang kemudian mendapat reaksi keras dari
pemerintah, yang kemudian menaikkan minat beli investor pada aset safe haven. Harga spot emas <XAU=> sempat anjlok ke 1,402.72 USD per troy ounce ‐
level terendah dalam 2‐pekan terakhir, dan ditutup melemah 1,2% ke 1,412.50 USD per troy ounce.
 
• Harga minyak dunia berhasil menutupi pelemahan tajamnya pada akhir sesi setelah berita dari Arab Saudi tersebut. Sebelumnya, harga minyak telah anjlok
tajam menyusul pemangkasan peringkat kredit Spanyol yang memunculkan kembali kekhawatiran atas kondisi hutang zona euro, mengangkat performa
dollar AS. Minyak juga mendapat tekanan dari laporan data ekonomi AS dan Cina yang lebih buruk dari perkiraan. Di London, minyak mentah Brent untuk
pengiriman April <LCOc1> turun 51 sen ke 115,43 USD per barel, dan minyak mentah Crude AS untuk pengiriman April <CLc1> turun 1,68 USD ke 102,70
USD per barel.
 
• Euro mengalami kinerja terburuk terhadap dollar AS dalam 1‐bulan terakhir menyusul pemangkasan peringkat kredit Spanyol oleh lembaga pemeringkat
Moody's yang menaikkan kekhawatiran akan kondisi hutang zona eropa. Kerusuhan di Arab Saudi, juga melemahkan minat investor pada aset beresiko,
menahan pelemahan harga minyak dan memangkas penguatan dollar AS terhadap Swiss franc. Dollar AS tercatat menguat 0.3% ke 0.9320 francs <CHF=>.
Euro turun 0,9% ke 1,3788 <EUR=>, kinerja harian terburuk sejak 10 Februari silam. Namun demikian, serangkaian aksi beli dalam jumlah besar dilaporkan
berasal dari institusi asal Timur Tengah dan Asia, membatasi pelemahan euro. Ekspektasi kenaikan suku bunga ECB yang akan lebih cepat dari The Fed dan
BoE juga masih mendukung euro. Terhadap yen, dollar AS naik 0.3% ke 82.93 yen <JPY=>.
 
• Aussie dollar turun 1% ke 0.9996 <AUD=> setelah data menunjukkan Cina mengalami defisit perdagangan pada Februari sebesar 7.3 miliar USD, terbesar
dalam tujuh tahun. Sterling tercatat melemah 1% terhadap dollar ke 1.6049 <GBP=> setelah BoE mempertahankan suku bunga dalam sidangnya untuk
Maret ini seperti yang telah luas diperkirakan sebelumnya.

Headline News 10.03.11

US & GLOBAL 
• Buruknya outlook dari laporan keuangan Texas Instruments menekan kinerja Nasdaq dan mendorong sub‐indeks produsen chip hingga di bawah level teknis penting
yang mulai menggoyahkan proyeksi uptrend selama 6‐bulan terakhir. Indeks PHLX semikonduktor <.SOX> turun 3% ditutup di bawah moving average 50‐hariannya
untuk pertama kalinya sejak September 2010 silam. Saham Texas Instruments <TXN.N> memimpin penurunan, setelah earningnya mengecewakan. Sahamnya turun
3,1%. Sementara itu International Business Machines Corp <IBM.N> berhasil menahan berlanjutnya pelemahan Dow Jones, dimana saham tersebut naik 2,2%.
 
• Tingginya harga minyak dunia masih merupakan momok bagi prospek kinerja saham‐saham bursa Wall Street, karena kenaikan harga minyak diprediksi akan
memberikan tekanan bagi pemulihan ekonomi AS. Indeks Dow Jones <. DJI> tuurn 1,29 poin atau 0,01% ke 12,213.09, S&P500 <. SPX> turun 1,80 poin atau 0,14% ke
1,320.02 dan Nasdaq <. IXIC> turun 14,05 poin atau 0,51% ke 2,751.72.
 
• Harga emas menguat tipis, namun gagal menembus level tertingginya dipicu oleh pelemahan harga minyak dunia yang menurunkan minat beli investor pada aset safe
haven. Harga emas saat ini terpengaruh pergerakan harga minyak dunia yang masih didominasi sentimen dari unjuk rasa yang berkembang di Timur Tengah dan Afrika
Utara. Harga spot emas <XAU=> naik 0,2% ke 1,429.60 USD per troy ounce.
 
• Harga minyak Brent London berhasil rebound diatas 116 USD per barel dipicu oleh meningkatnya pertempuran antara pendukung dan anti pemerintahan Kadafi di
Libia yang memicu kekhawatiran pasokan minyak. Sementara itu minyak mentah AS turun akibat persediaan minyak yang meningkat tajam. Harga minyak mentah
Brent untuk pengiriman April <LCOJ1> naik 2,88 USD lebih tinggi ke 115,94 USD per barel, setelah sebelumnya sempat mencapai 116,18 USD per barel. Sementara itu
harga minyak Crude AS untuk pengiriman April <CLJ1> turun 64 sen ke 104,38 USD per barel.
 
• Euro gagal re‐test level tertinggi dalam 4‐tahun terakhir yang tercetak pada sesi Rabu 09 Maret lalu, kekhawatiran pada kondisi fiskal beberapa negara di zona euro
diperkirakan akan menghambat kenaikan euro lebih lanjut. Euro terakhir diperdagangkan stagnan terhadap dollar AS ke 1,3904 <EUR=>. Dalam lelang yang diadakan
Rabu 09 Maret, biaya untuk menerbitkan obligasi dengan tenor 2‐tahun Portugis melonjak ke level tertinggi sejak 1999 silam, menaikkan kekhawatiran bahwa negara
tersebut memerlukan bailout. Jika ECB menaikkan suku bunga maka hal tersebut diperkirakan akan merusak kemampuan finansial negara‐negara seperti Portugal,
Yunani dan Irlandia untuk mendongkrak pertumbuhan ekonominya – berpotensi menekan laju euro. Presiden ECB Jean‐Claude Trichet pekan lalu mengisyaratkan
bahwa suku bunga mungkin akan dinaikkan pada sidang ECB untuk April.
 
• Dollar AS naik tipis 0,1% terhadap yen ke 82,70 yen <JPY=>. Berdasarkan laporan dari institusi keuangan terkemuka ‐ UBS, fund manager terkemuka dunia telah
meningkatkan volume pembelian dollar AS terhadap yen dalam beberapa pekan terakhir, meskipun flutuasi tajam imbal hasil obligasi AS dalam beberapa sesi terakhir
membatasi penguatan dollar terhadap yen akhir‐akhir ini. Sterling naik 0,2% ke 1,6200 <GBP‐D4>, sementara New Zealand dollar turun 0,3% ke 0,7366 <NZD=D4>
setelah bank sentralnya memangkas suku bunga sebesar 50 basis poin. Pemimpin dari 17‐negara zona euro pada pertemuan Jumat 11 Maret ini diperkirakan akan
menyetujui program penanganan krisis kawasan. Namun, kinerja euro masih mendapat dukungan dari perrbedaan suku bunga dengan negara maju lainnya, terutama
sejak meningkatnya ekspektasi kenaikan suku bunga oleh ECB, kontras dengan kebijakan moneter AS yang tampaknya akan tetap longgar dalam beberapa waktu
kedepan.

Brent crude rises on fierce battles in Libya

NEW YORK | Wed Mar 9, 2011 4:15pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brent oil prices rebounded toward $116 a barrel on Wednesday as intense fighting in Libya stoked more supply worries and U.S. crude fell as inventories rose sharply, widening Brent's premium against U.S. crude.

Brent crude for April delivery settled $2.88 higher at $115.94 a barrel, having earlier hit $116.18.
U.S. April crude closed at $104.38 a barrel, down 64 cents, after hitting an early high of $105.92.
Brent crude's premium over U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude widened to $11.56, from $8.04 at the close on Tuesday. That was a gain of $3.52, or 44 percent, the biggest single-day percentage gain of Brent over U.S. crude since November 15.

Muammar Gaddafi's forces struck an oil pipeline leading to the Es Sider town and dropped bombs on storage tanks in the Ras Lanuf oil terminal area in the eastern section of Libya that is rebel-controlled.
Libyan state television blamed the explosions on "al Qaeda-backed" armed elements.
Rebels said they had retaken the main square of the western city of Zawiyah after pro-Gaddafi forces took control of it earlier in the day. The fighting has led to the closure of one of Libya's biggest refineries there.

HIGHER U.S. STOCKPILES

U.S. crude prices weakened after data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed crude inventories rose 2.51 million barrels last week, dwarfing the forecast for an increase of just 400,000 barrels in a Reuters poll.
More telling for U.S. crude, crude stocks at the key delivery hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, soared 1.69 million barrels to a record 40.26 million barrels.

But losses for U.S. crude were limited as the weekly data showed drawdowns for gasoline and distillate inventories were bigger than expected, reflecting improving demand.
U.S. gasoline for April jumped more than 8 cents to close at $3.0272 a gallon, while April heating oil gained nearly 6 cents to $3.0707 a gallon, both near 2-1/2-year highs.

PROLONGED STRUGGLE?

Perception of prolonged trouble in Libya was driving the rally in oil prices, said Christopher Bellew, an oil trader at Bache Commodities in London.
"As the outlook for Western intervention looks less likely -- which would bring things to a quick conclusion -- then we are looking at a prolonged struggle," he said.
 Confirming previous non-Libyan estimates, Shokri Ghanem, chairman of Libya's National Oil Corp, told a news conference in Tripoli that production has been cut to about half a million barrels per day, from 1.6 million bpd, as many foreign and local workers have left oil fields.
Libyan oil trade has been paralyzed as banks decline to clear payments in dollars due to U.S. sanctions, though Austrian energy group OMV said it had been buying small amounts of Libyan crude oil and would continue to do so.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance was not looking to intervene in Libya, but its military was ready to respond at short notice.
Oil prices fell on Tuesday after Kuwait's oil minister said OPEC was considering raising output due to the Libyan outage.
But an OPEC delegate said on Wednesday that the group saw no need for an emergency meeting to discuss raising output.

Leading OPEC producer Saudi Arabia is already pumping more oil -- up to 9 million barrels per day -- to keep supplies available if needed.
Saudi Shi'ites staged another small protest in the kingdom's Eastern province, defying a ban on demonstrations, but Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said dialogue, not protest, was the best way to bring about change.
OPEC member Algeria's oil minister said on Wednesday he was confident that potential domestic unrest in Algeria or Saudi Arabia would not disrupt oil exports.

Headline News 09.03.11

US & GLOBAL 
• Bursa saham Wall Street berhasil menguat ditunjang oleh kombinasi dari perkiraan optimis keuntungan dari Bank of America dan penurunan
harga minyak dunia. Indeks S&P500 melonjak diatas level trendline yang berkembang sejak 6‐bulan terakhir, setelah pada sesi Senin sempat
berada dibawah level tersebut. Demikian pula indeks komposit Nasdaq yang berhasil menguat diatas level moving average 50‐hariannya yang
menguatkan indikasi uptrend, meskipun volume perdagangan cukup tipis. Saham‐saham keuangan memimpin kenaikan, dimana sub‐indeks
keuangan S&P <. GSPF> naik hingga 2,2%. Indeks Dow Jones <. DJI> naik 124,58 poin atau 1,03% ke 12,214.61, S&P500 <. SPX> menguat 11,69
poin atau 0,89% ke 1,321.82 dan Nasdaq <. IXIC> naik 20,14 poin atau 0,73% ke 2,765.77.
 
• Harga emas turun dibawah 1.430 USD per troy ounce setelah sempat membukukan rekor harga tertinggi pada sesi Selasa 08 Maret lalu.
Pelemahan harga emas ini dipengaruhi oleh turunnya harga minyak dunia dan naiknya bursa saham Wall Street (salah satu indikator naiknya risk
appetite) yang kemudian memicu aksi ambil untung pelaku pasar terhadap emas menyusul kenaikan tajamnya dalam beberapa sesi terakhir.
Harga spot emas <XAU=> turun 0,2% ke 1,427.54 USD per troy ounce.
 
• Harga minyak dunia melemah pada sesi Selasa 08 Maret, minyak Brent London turun hampir 2% setelah Menteri Perminyakan Kuwait mengatakan
OPEC tengah mempertimbangkan meningkatkan produksi menyusul terganggunya produksi di Libya dan kekhawatiran akan meluasnya gejolak
unjuk rasa pada negara‐negara di kawasan Timur Tengah dan Afrika Utara tersebut. Harga minyak Brent untuk pengiriman April <LCOc1> turun
1,98 USD ke 113,06 USD per barel, dan harga minyak mentah Crude AS untuk pengiriman April <CLc1> turun 42 sen ke 105,02 USD per barel.
 
• Dollar AS menguat terhadap euro menyusul naiknya kekhawatiran bahwa beberapa negara di kawasan Uni‐Eropa dengan kondisi finansialnya saat
ini tidak akan mampu menahan tingkat suku bunga yang lebih tinggi. Namun demikian dukungan bagi berlanjutnya penguatan dollar nampaknya
masih memerlukan landasan dari isyarat bahwa The Fed akan mulai menarik diri dari kebijakan moenter longgarnya (meskipun nampaknya masih
jauh dari harapan). Pemangkasan peringkat kredit terhadap Yunani dan Spanyol baru‐baru ini kembali mengingatkan investor akan biaya pinjaman
yang lebih tinggi dan dengan kurs mata uang yang kuat akan menyulitkan bagi negara yang terbebani hutang untuk mendorong pertumbuhan
ekonominya. Kondisi tersebut kemudian menekan euro hingga dibawah level 1,3860, setelah pada Senin 07 Maret berhasil mencatat level
tertinggi dalam 4‐bulan terakhir di 1,4036. Hingga akhir sesi New York, euro tercatat melemah 0.5% ke 1,3898 <EUR=>. Dollar AS juga menguat
0,5% ke 82,66 yen <JPY=>.
 
• Pelemahan harga minyak dunia menekan Swiss franc, investor membukukan keuntungan dari penguatan tajam franc akhir‐akhir ini, dollar AS
tercatat menguat hampir 1% terhadap Swiss franc dan euro sempat naik hingga 1.3041 fran yang merupakan level tertinggi dalam kurun 2‐pekan
terakhir. Sterling tertekan penguatan dollar AS, sterling turun tipis 0.25% ke 1.6158 dan tercatat menguat 0.7% terhadap franc ke 1.5111.

Headline News 08.03.11

US & GLOBAL

•

Investor menjual saham-saham teknologi pada perdagangan perdana pekan ini, dimana Nasdaq diindikasikan berada pada level

teknikal penting menyusul ketidakpastian atas lonjakan harga minyak yang berpotensi mendorong volatilitas pada perdagangan

dalam beberapa hari kedepan. Indeks Nasdaq <.IXIC> turun 1,4% di 2.745.63 diatas level

moving average

50-hariannya, level

teknis yang jika berhasil ditembus diprediksi akan memicu koreksi lebih dalam lagi. Indeks Dow Jones <.DJI> turun 79,85 poin atau

0,66% ke 12,090.03, S&P500 <. SPX> turun 11,02 poin atau 0,83 persen, ke 1,310.13.

•

Euro melemah pada akhir sesi perdagangan AS akibat kembalinya kekhawatiran akan kondisi hutang negara-negara di kawasan

Uni-Eropa, meskipun tingginya ekspektasi kenaikan suku bunga ECB masih berpotensi mendukung kinerja mata uang tunggal zona

eropa tersebut. Setelah sempat menguat hingga level 1.4037 terhadap dollar AS yang merupakan level tertinggi dalam kurun 4-

bulan terakhir, euro beringsut melemah setelah dimulainya perdagangan sesi London dan turunnya likuiditas di bursa New York.

Euro <EUR=> tercatat ditutup melemah 0.1% ke 1,3975. Masalah hutang negara-negara di kawasan Uni-Eropa - yang dalam

beberapa bulan terakhir ini tidak lagi menonjol, kembali menyeruak setelah lembaga pemeringkat Moody's memangkas peringkat

hutang Yunani sebanyak tiga derajat dan masih berpotensi mengalami pemangkasan lebih lanjut.

•

Pada saat yang sama, minat investor terhadap status

safe haven

yang dimiliki dollar AS telah berkurang meski eskalasi gejolak

geopolitik masih berlanjut. Minimnya minat terhadap dollar AS ini merupakan dampak dari lonjakan harga minyak dunia yang

berprospek menaikkan tekanan inflasi dan adanya ekspektasi bahwa laju suku bunga The Fed akan tertinggal dari ECB dan juga

BoE. Sikap ECB sangat kontras dengan The Fed, yang diperkirakan akan menjaga kebijakan moneter yang longgar dalam beberapa

waktu kedepan. Hal mana mencerminkan keprihatinan The Fed akan prospek pertumbuhan ekonomi AS seiring naiknya tekanan

inflasi. Dollar tercatat stagnan terhadap yen ke 82.23 <JPY=>, sementara euro turun 0,1% terhadap yen ke 114,95 <EURJPY=>

dan naik 0,1% terhadap 1,2944 Swiss franc <EURCHF=>.

•

Harga emas dunia mencatat kenaikan ke rekor tertingginya, ditunjang oleh meningkatnya kerusuhan di Libya dan adanya spekulasi

bahwa Khadafi tengah mencari celah untuk meninggalkan negara itu. Sementara harga perak dunia naik lebih dari 1% setelah

sempat menyentuh level tertinggi sejak 31-tahun terakhir seiring kuatnya permintaan fisik turunnya pasokan jangka pendek ke

industri. Harga spot emas <XAU=> sempat mencapai rekor harga tertinggi di 1444.40 USD per troy ounce, dan tercatat ditutup

naik 0.23% ke 1432.80 USD per troy ounce.

•

Sementara itu harga minyak mentah Brent berbalik melemah setelah sempat naik diatas 118 USD per barel, sedangkan harga

minyak Crude AS melepas keuntungan di awal sesi setelah kekhawatiran tentang konflik Libya dan ancaman gangguan pasokan

yang lebih luas di Timur Tengah sempat mengangkat ke level tertinggi sejak September 2008. Maraknya aksi ambil untung para

pelaku pasar, kuat terindikasi dalam perdagangan perdana awal pekan ini, seiring naik tajamnya harga minyak dalam beberapa sesi

terakhir. Minyak mentah Brent untuk pengiriman April <LCOc1> turun 93 sen ke 115,04 USD per barel, setelah sempat menguat

hingga 118,50 USD per barel, sedangkan minyak mentah Crude AS untuk pengiriman April <CLc1> tercatat menguat 1,02 USD ke

105,44 USD per barel, penutupan tertinggi sejak September 2008.

Headline News 07.03.11

US & GLOBAL 
• Bursa saham Wall Street ditutup melemah pada akhir pekan lalu, menghapus penguatan tajam dalam seminggu terakhir. Buruknya kinerja bursa AS tersebut
dipengaruhi oleh masih dominannya kekhawatiran investor pada gejolak geopolitik Timur Tengah dan lonjakan harga minyak yang diperkirakan akan berlanjut
menahan kinerja bursa dalam sepekan kedepan. Sentimen negatif menutupi rilis data sektor ketenagakerjaan AS yang membaik, melebihi perkiraan.
 
• Sementara itu saham‐saham sektor perbankan melemah setelah adanya berita bahwa Bank of America Merrill Lynch mengatakan bahwa pendapatan kuartal pertama
perbankan AS akan tertekan oleh meningkatnya harga minyak serta menurunnya aktivitas perdagangan investor. Indeks Dow Jones <DJI.> turun 88,32 poin atau
0,72% ke 12,169.88, S&P500 <. SPX> turun 9,82 poin atau 0,74% ke 1,321.15 dan Nasdaq <. IXIC> turun 14,07 poin atau 0,50% ke 2,784.67. Dalam sepekan terakhir,
Dow Jones naik 0,3% dan S&P serta Nasdaq naik 0,1%.
 
• Harga emas naik diatas 1.430 USD per troy ounce pada sesi Jumat 04 Maret, sementara perak naik 3% ke level tertinggi 31‐tahun terakhir menyusul meroketnya harga
minyak dunia didorong oleh melebarnya bentrokan di Libya yang memicu investor mengalihkan investasinya pada aset safe haven. Emas sempat mencapai rekor
tertinggi sepanjang sejarah di 1,440.10 USD per troy ounce pada hari Rabu 02 Maret, membukukan kenaikan berturut‐turut dalam 5‐pekan terakhir. Harga spot emas
<XAU=> ditutup menguat 0,8% ke 1,427.31 USD per tory ounce, dalam sepekan terakhir emas tercatat menguat 1.5%.
 
• Harga minyak Brent menguat diatas level 116 USD per barel, sementara harga minyak Crude AS mencapai level tertinggi sejak September 2008, menyusul intensifnya
pertempuran di Libya yang mengancam suplai minyak negara tersebut. Harga minyak mentah Brent untuk pengiriman April <LCOc1> naik 1,18 USD ke 115,97 USD per
barel, setelah mencapai level tertinggi di 116,49 USD per barel. Sementara itu harga minyak mentah Crude AS untuk pengiriman April <CLc1> naik 2,51 USD ke 104,42
USD per barel, penutupan tertinggi sejak September 2008.
 
• Dollar AS diprediksi akan berlanjut melemah dalam sepekan kedepan seiring ekspektasi bahwa suku bunga ECB akan naik mendahului The Fed. Dat sektor
ketenagakerjaan AS untuk Februari dirilis menguat, melebihi perkiraan ekonom, namun investor kurang puas dengan hasil data tersebut, karena mengharapkan data
dirilis lebih baik lagi.
 
• Investor melihat akselerasi yang lebih kuat dari pertumbuhan sektor ketenagakerjaan AS diperlukan bagi The Fed untuk mengakhiri program quantitative easing jilid
dua. Tingkat pengangguran AS secara tidak terduga mengalami penurunan dan Non‐Farm Payrolls naik menjadi 192.000, dibandingkan data Januari yang hanya
63.000. Departemen Tenaga Kerja AS melaporkan bahwa perekrutan tenaga kerja di AS pada Februari mencapai level tertinggi sejak bulan Mei 2010 dan
pengangguran merosot ke 8,9%, terendah dalam 2‐tahun terakhir. Data‐data tersebut belum mengubah ekspektasi bahwa The Fed akan mempertahankan kebijakan
moneter longgar, kondisi mana menekan dollar AS terhadap mata uang utama dunia lainnnya. Indeks dollar AS turun 0,1% <. DXY>. Situasi AS kontras dengan
pandangan bahwa ECB akan menaikkan suku bunga pada bulan April, dengan demikian ECB akan mendahului The Fed dan BoE dalam memperketat kebijakan
moneter. Dalam sepekan terakhir, euro tercatat naik 1,7% terhadap dollar AS <EUR=>, sementara dollar AS naik 0,8% terhadap yen <JPY=>. Sementara itu sterling
tercatat menguat 1% terhadap dollar dalam seminggu terakhir dan dollar AS naik 1.9% terhadap Swiss franc. (Research – Ahim)
SWISS
 
• Swiss franc tertekan kembali ke level terendahnya dalam dua minggu terhadap euro dan naik terhadap dollar AS Jumat lalu setelah Swiss National Bank Vice‐
Chairman Thomas Jordan mengatakan tingkat suku bunga rendah tidak akan bertahan dalam jangka menengah.
 
• Euro telah menguat kelevel tertingginya terhadap Kamis lalu setelah Presiden ECB Jean‐Claude Trichet mengatakan bank akan mengalami "strong vigilance"
berkenaan dengan naiknya tingkat inflasi, sebuah ungkapan banyak menandai kenaikan tingkat suku bunga dapat terjadi awal April.
 
• Naiknya tingkat suku bunga dapat membuat mata uang lebih menarik bagi investor, termasuk mereka dapat membeli mata uang dari naiknya yield.
 
• Swiss National Bank akan menaikkan tingkat suku bunga dalam jangka menengah untuk menjamin stabilitas harga, SNB vice‐chairman Thomas Jordan mengatakannya
dalam suatu wawancara.
 
• "It is clear that this low interest rate level is not sustainable in the medium and long term because keeping them at this level would increase the risk that price stability
can not be ensured," Jordan mengatakannya pada surat kabar berbahasa Swiss French Le Temps.
 
• SNB memperluas ekspektasi untuk menahan tingkat suku bunga pada meeting 17 Maret tetapi pembicaraan dari European Central Bank telah mendorong pasar untuk
memperkirakan kenaikan tingkat suku bunga pertama kalinya dari SNB.

Oil hits 2.5-year highs on Libya, stocks slip

HONG KONG | Sun Mar 6, 2011 8:15pm EST

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Crude oil prices rose to 2-1/2 year highs as worries about supply disruption increased due to deepening unrest in Libya, while Asian stocks slipped on Monday as concerns about the Middle East also weighed on equities.

U.S. crude hopped above the $105 a barrel line to reach its highest level since September 2008 as a counter-offensive by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi against rebels raised concerns that Africa's largest biggest holder of oil reserves is sliding into civil war.

Gold, often sought in times of geopolitical tensions, rose to near a lifetime high at $1,434.60 an ounce, while silver surged 3 percent to 31-year highs as investors piled into safe havens. It hit a record $1,440 last week.

A reasonably strong batch of U.S. data that showed the jobless rate falling to a near two-year low failed to boost sentiment, as investors remained firmly focused on the developments in the Middle East and the resulting longer-term impact on oil.

While a 22 percent rise in U.S. oil prices over the last two weeks has failed to have a significant impact on Asian stock markets so far, market players worried that further sharp price increases may stifle growth and fuel inflationary pressures.

"With strong, but not spectacular, U.S. payrolls we're seeing more signs of global recovery, but in the long term, high oil prices can threaten the earnings of Japanese companies and that's what investors are concentrating on now," said Mitsuo Shimizu, deputy general manager at Cosmo Securities in Tokyo.

Tokyo's Nikkei average .N225 fell more than 1 percent, while stocks elsewhere in Asia .MIAP00000PUS dipped 0.2 percent. South Korea's KOSPI .KS11 was a shade lower while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was down nearly 1 percent.

Wall Street erased most of its weekly gains on Friday, with the S&P 500 Index .SPX falling by 0.74 percent, as fears of more geopolitical turmoil overshadowed positive U.S. data. The CBOE Volatility Index VIX .VIX, Wall Street's so-called fear gauge, rose 2.7 percent to 19.11. .N
In currency markets, the dollar struggled against a basket of major currencies .DXY after failing to get a big boost from the U.S. data, while the euro was supported on expectations of an interest rate hike next month from a hawkish European Central Bank.

Headline News 04.03.11

US & GLOBAL 
• Bursa saham Wall Street menguat dan mencatat performa harian terbaik dalam 3‐bulan terakhir, penguatan mana ditopang tingginya optimisme investor pada rilis data Non‐
Farm Payrolls Februari, meskipun volume perdagangan cukup tipis. Dengan tertahannya penguatan minyak, pelaku pasar saat ini berfokus pada rilis data sektor ketenagakerjaan
AS untuk Februari, dimana berdasarkan perkiraan terakhir, Non‐Fram Payrolls diproyeksikan naik 185.000, tetapi sentimen pasar mulai condong ke arah angka diatas 200.000.
 
Sementara itu data jobless claims mengalami penurunan 368.000 pada pekan lalu, yang merupakan level terendah dalam kurun 2‐1/2 tahun terakhir. Sedangkan survei dari ISM
untuk non‐manufacturing mengungguli perkiraan, sebesar 59.7. Saham‐saham industri memimpin penguatan bursa, didorong oleh rendahnya nilai tukar dollar AS dan
membaiknya prospek permintaan global. Indeks Dow Jones <.DJI> naik 191,40 poin atau 1,59% ke 12,258.20, S&P500 <.SPX> naik 22,53 poin atau 1,72% ke 1,330.97 dan Nasdaq
<. IXIC> naik 50,67 poin atau 1,84% ke 2,798.74. Dow dan S&P 500 membukukan kenaikan harian terbesar sejak 1 Desember 2010.
 
• Euro melonjak ke level tertinggi dalam kurun 4‐bulan terakhir terhadap dollar AS, mendekati level psikologis penting di 1,40. Penguatan tajam tersebut dipengaruhi komentar dari
Presiden ECB ‐ Jean‐Claude Trichet yang semakin menguatkan ekspektasi kenaikan suku bunga ECB dalam waktu dekat. Dalam konferensi pers setelah sidang ECB yang
memutuskan mempertahankan suku bunga tetap pada 1,0%, Trichet mengatakan bank sentral akan melaksanakan "kewaspadaan yang intens" atas kenaikan inflasi, sebuah
ungkapan yang di masa lalu mengisyaratkan suku bunga akan segera dinaikkan setidaknya dalam satu bulan kedepan.

Euro naik hingga level 1,3976 <EUR=> tertinggi sejak awal
November, setelah naik di atas resistensi sekitar 200‐week moving average di 1,3958. Hingga akhir sesi New York euro tercatat menguat 0.7% ke 1,3963. Indikasi kuat bahwa
kenaikan suku bunga ECB akan terjadi pada April menempatkan ECB di posisi terdepan dalam kenaikan suku bunga sebelum The Fed dan BoE.
 
• Euro juga menguat ke level 114,99 yen <EURJPY=>, yang juga merupakan level tertinggi sejak awal November. Mata uang tunggal Uni‐Eropa tersebut mencatat kenaikan 1%
terhadap sterling ke 85,75 <EURGBP=D4> dan naik 1,5% ke 1.3000 Swiss franc <EURCHF=>. Sementara itu dollar AS menguat 0,6% ke 82,36 yen <JPY=>, mendapatkan dukungan
dari rilis data jobless claims AS yang menunjukkan penurunan ke level terendah dalam kurun lebih dari 2‐1/2 tahun terakhir. Penguatan dollar AS diperkirakan masih akan
bertahan jika data nonfarm payrolls AS untuk Februari dirilis lebih baik dari perkirakan.
 
• Harga emas turun 1,5%, menutup penguatan tajam dalam 4‐sesi sebelumnya yang sempat naik hingga level tertinggi sepanjang sejarah. Pelemahan emas disebabkan adanya
berita tentang proposal Venezuela untuk mengakhiri gejolak di Libya dan pernyataan ECB yang telah siap untuk menaikkan suku bunga dalam waktu dekat. Investor melakukan
aksi ambil untung menyusul turunnya harga minyak dunia setelah pemerintah Venezuala menyatakan bahwa Muammar Kaddafi telah sepakat untuk menerima usulan
pembentukan komisi internasional untuk merundingkan rencana perdamaian di Libya, negara eksportir minyak terbesar ke‐12 dunia. Harga spot emas <XAU=> turun 1.5% ke
1.412,90 USd per troy ounce.
 
• Harga minyak dunia turun dari level tertinggi dalam 2‐1/2‐tahun terakhir, akibat aksi ambil untung pelaku pasar menyusul adanya berita bahwa Venezuela tengah berencana
untuk mengatasi krisis Libya, meskipun pasar sebenarnya masih sangat skeptis pada keberhasilan rencana tersebut. Harga minyak mentah Brent untuk pengiriman April <LCOc1>
turun 1,56 USD ke 114,79 USD per barel. Sedangkan harga Crude AS untuk pengiriman April <CLc1> turun 32 sen ke 101,91 USD per barel.

Libyan rebels push west as Gaddafi receives crimes warning

AL-UQAYLA, Libya | Thu Mar 3, 2011 7:36pm EST

AL-UQAYLA, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan rebels pushed west on Thursday, extending their grip on a key coast road as Muammar Gaddafi received a warning he would be held to account at The Hague for suspected crimes by his security forces.

Venezuela said the Libyan leader had agreed to its proposal for an international commission to negotiate an end to the turmoil in the world's 12th largest oil exporting nation.

But Gaddafi's son Saif al Islam said there was no need for any foreign mediation in the crisis, a leader of the uprising rejected talks with the veteran leader, and the Arab League said cautiously the plan was "under consideration."

In Paris, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said France and Britain would support the idea of setting up a no-fly zone over Libya if Gaddafi's forces continued to attack civilians.
President Barack Obama said the United States and the international community must be ready to act rapidly to stop violence against civilians or a humanitarian crisis in Libya.

The uprising, the bloodiest yet against a long-serving ruler in the Middle East or North Africa, has torn through the OPEC-member country and knocked out nearly 50 percent of its 1.6 million barrels per day output, the bedrock of its economy.

In eastern Libya, witnesses said a warplane bombed Brega the oil terminal town 800 km (500 miles) east of Tripoli, for the second day, part of a struggle for control of a strategically vital coast road and oil industry facilities.
Warplanes also launched two raids against the nearby rebel-held town of Ajbadiya, witnesses said.

"CIVILIAN AREAS NOT BOMBED"

But Juma Amer, Secretary for African Affairs at the Libyan Foreign Ministry, told journalists: "Media reports that civilian areas were bombed are false. Police had been and are urged to use maximum self restraint."
Saif said Brega was bombed to scare off militia fighters and to gain control of oil installations.

"First of all the bombs (were) just to frighten them to go away," he told Britain's Sky News.
On the ground, rebels leading the unprecedented popular revolt pushed their front line west of Brega.
They said they had driven back troops loyal to Gaddafi to Ras Lanuf, site of another major oil terminal and 600 km (375 miles) east of Tripoli.
They also said they had captured a group of mercenaries.

In an angry scene at al-Uqayla, east of Ras Lanuf, a rebel shouted at a captured young African and alleged mercenary: "You were carrying guns, yes or no? You were with Gaddafi's brigades yes or no?"
The silent youth was shoved onto his knees into the dirt. A man held a pistol close to the boy's face before a reporter protested and told the man the rebels were not judges.

In The Hague, International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Gaddafi and members of his inner circle, could be investigated for alleged crimes committed since the uprising broke out in mid-February.

"We have identified some individuals in the de facto or former authority who have authority over the security forces who allegedly committed the crimes," Moreno-Ocampo said.
"They are Muammar Gaddafi, his inner circle including some of his sons, who had this de facto authority. There are also some people with formal authority who should pay attention to crimes committed by their people."

Libyan government spokesman Musa Ibrahim told BBC radio the news from The Hague was "close to a joke."
"No fact-finding mission has been sent to Libya. No diplomats, no ministers, no NGOs or organisations of any type were sent to Libya to check the facts ... No one can be sent to prison based on media reports," he said.

Ibrahim Mohammad Ali, a spokesman for the public security department, said Libya had told the United Nations it would allow visits by independent human rights observers.
Libya is not a signatory of the ICC treaty, "but we are willing to deal with the ICC and take action against anyone who has acted outside the law," he told a Tripoli news conference.

A spokesman for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Gaddafi ally, said the Libyan government had accepted a Venezuelan plan to seek a negotiated solution to the conflict in Libya.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said the plan was under consideration and he was waiting for details from Caracas.

SKEPTICISM OVER CHAVEZ PLAN

Oil prices fell briefly on news of the plan, but traders said the fall was due to profit-taking and they were skeptical about any Venezuelan mediation. Brent crude fell more than $3 but by 2000 GMT had recovered to $114.82.

Chavez's plan would involve a commission from Latin America, Europe and the Middle East trying to reach a negotiated outcome between the Libyan leader and rebel forces.
An aide to Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the rebels' National Libyan Council, told Reuters the rebels were open to talks only on Gaddafi's resignation or exile to avoid more bloodshed.
"There is nothing else to negotiate," he said.
He also called for foreign air strikes to set up a "no-fly zone" to help the rebels topple Gaddafi.
Save The Children and Medecins Sans Frontieres said they were struggling to get medicine and care to Libya's needy, with gunmen blocking roads and civilians too scared to seek help.
The government has tried to persuade people in Tripoli that life continues as normal. But there were queues at banks, and residents said food prices had gone up and the street value of the Libyan dinar had fallen dramatically against the dollar.

The official news agency said the Libyan parliament had cut car fuel prices by 25 percent to 0.15 dinars ($0.12) a liter.
A fish market near Tripoli's Green Square was mostly empty. "The situation is affecting us," said Ismail, a fisherman. "All the Egyptian workers who run the boats have left."

Just outside rebel-held Zawiyah, west of Tripoli, officials took foreign journalists to a local refinery to show it was controlled by the state. Officials said it was running normally.
But in the center of Zawiyah, rebels were fully in control and said they had enough forces to repel any government attack.

In the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, men of all ages gathered next to the courthouse engaged in fierce debates, enjoying their new-found freedom of speech.
"We must go to Tripoli and get rid of Gaddafi," shouted one, to murmurs of approval from those around him.
"But we have only our shirts to protect us from the cannon," said Ahmed el Sherif, 60, standing on the edge of the group.

The upheaval is causing a humanitarian crisis, especially on the Tunisian border where tens of thousands of foreign workers have fled to safety. But an organized international airlift started to relieve the human flood from Libya as word spread to refugees that planes were taking them home.